eInside Briefs

Kent State Forms Presidential Search Committee

Kent State University has formed a search committee to recruit its 12th president, who will succeed retiring President Lester A. Lefton. In April, Lefton announced his retirement from the presidency of Ohio’s second largest public university, effective July 1, 2014. He has served as Kent State’s chief executive officer since July 1, 2006.

Kent State University has formed a search committee to recruit its 12th president, who will succeed retiring President Lester A. Lefton. In April, Lefton announced his retirement from the presidency of Ohio’s second largest public university, effective July 1, 2014. He has served as Kent State’s chief executive officer since July 1, 2006.

“Kent State finds itself at a unique point, one filled with achievement and remarkable opportunities for continued growth,” says Richard Marsh, chair of the Presidential Search Committee and a member of the Kent State Board of Trustees. “Record enrollments, a commitment to academic excellence and the revitalization of our campuses and communities indicate that the university is strong and ready to welcome our 12th president.”

The committee is advisory to the Board of Trustees and consists of faculty, trustees, students, staff and others the board deems necessary, who will conduct the search not on behalf of any single constituency, but rather in the best overall interests of Kent State.

“In establishing the committee, we as a board sought to achieve a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives and a deep understanding of the requirements for the next president,” Marsh says.

Serving on the committee are the following representatives from Kent State:

• Michael Allen, executive chair, Graduate Student Senate; Ph.D. candidate, geography
• Dennis Eckart, vice chair, Presidential Search Committee; vice chair, Board of Trustees; principal, North Shore Associates
• Paul Farrell, Ph.D., chair, Faculty Senate; professor of computer science
• The Rev. Ronald Fowler, special assistant to the president, community engagement; chair, Diversity Advisory Board
• Lee Fox-Cardamone, Ph.D., associate professor, psychology, Stark Campus; executive committee, Faculty Senate
• Thomas Janson, D.M.A., professor and coordinator of graduate studies, music; past chair and member, Faculty Senate
• Joel Nielsen, director of intercollegiate athletics
• Amish Patel, executive director, Undergraduate Student Government; communications studies major
• Susan Roxburgh, Ph.D., associate professor, sociology; member, Faculty Senate
• Maria Schneider, president, Alumni Association National Board of Directors; alumni board representative, Foundation Board of Directors; managing consultant-premier segment, institutional relationships, TIAA-CREF
• Deborah Spake, Ph.D., dean, College of Business Administration
• Susan Stocker, Ph.D., dean, Kent State University at Ashtabula; interim dean, College of Nursing
  

The committee includes the following community members:

• Richard Coe, president and chief executive officer, Portage Community Bank
• David Ruller, city manager, City of Kent
• Jerry Sue Thornton, Ph.D., president emeritus, Cuyahoga Community College
  

Committee seeks input from Kent State community
The search committee is reaching out to the Kent State community to solicit feedback on issues and opportunities facing the university and qualities to seek in the next president. This process will continue throughout the fall semester.

To help keep the community informed, a search website has been created at www.kent.edu/presidentialsearch. The feedback page includes several ways to communicate with the search committee, including:

• Participating in an online survey.
• Sending an email to the committee.
• Information about or requesting open forums attended by search committee members.
  

Search firm to assist in process
The Kent State Board of Trustee has retained the services of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates, to assist in the search process. Storbeck/Pimentel is one of the leading executive search firms with its entire practice dedicated to higher education. Storbeck/Pimentel was selected from among nine firms responding to the university’s request for proposals.

“As a graduate and trustee of Kent State, I am proud of our remarkable progress in serving our students and our region,” Marsh adds. “It is a great time to be associated with Kent State, and I am confident that the energy and enthusiasm of our institution will attract an outstanding leader."

Kent State Atmospheric Research Group Awarded $330,000 NSF Grant

The National Science Foundation (NSF)
has awarded a three-year, $330,000
National Science Foundation grant to
Kent State University’s Atmospheric
Research Group. The project will be
led by Shanhu Lee, Ph.D., associate
professor of environmental health
sciences in Kent State’s College of
Public Health.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a three-year, $330,000 National Science Foundation grant to Kent State University’s Atmospheric Research Group for its project titled “Measurements of Amines during the Southern Oxidant and Aerosol Study (SOAS) Field Campaign.” The project will be led by Shanhu Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of environmental health sciences in Kent State’s College of Public Health.

Lee’s research is a component of the broad community experiment, SOAS, designed to further investigate the oxidation of the emissions (biogenic volatile organic compounds or BVOCs) of plants in the context of the atmospheric environment of the Southeast United States. That project is part of a bigger collaboration, the Southeast Atmosphere Study (SAS). Their field campaign is taking place this summer in Brent, Ala. There are two research aircrafts taking measurements along with ground-based measurements. Lee’s group is one of about 30 research groups that are doing ground-based measurements.

SOAS is one of the largest atmospheric field studies taking place in the United States. The campaign is co-sponsored by the NSF, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“The purpose of this campaign is to understand the chemical and physical mechanisms related to air pollution and climate change,” Lee says. “The Southern United States has abundant biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted from trees and various anthropogenic air pollutants from industries. Under strong sun conditions, these BVOCs and sulfur and nitrogen oxidants emitted from power plants and automobiles together produce high concentrations of ozone and particular matters, both of which affect human health and air quality.”

The project will investigate the effects of organic amines on secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation processes. Amines, along with ammonia, are the dominant organic base compounds in the atmosphere. They are invariably present in aerosol particles and may contribute to SOA formation through condensation of their oxidation products or by the formation of salts with more acidic aerosol particles.

“Amines and their oxidation products may have adverse health effects and directly impact air quality, and visibility,” Lee says. “At present, measurements of gas-phase amines, especially in biogenic environments in the southeastern United States, are lacking.”

Lee’s research group recently developed a unique chemical ionization mass spectrometry technique to detect very low concentrations of atmospheric trace amines with fast time response. “We are one of only three research groups in the world that have such capabilities,” Lee says.

For more information about Lee’s research group, visit www.personal.kent.edu/~slee19/index.htm.

For more information about the Southeast Atmosphere Study, visit www.eol.ucar.edu/projects/sas/.

For more information about Kent State’s College of Public Health, visit www.kent.edu/publichealth.

Kent State University Awarded Two Grants from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Kent State University has been awarded two grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. One grant, for research on physical activity levels and obesity, totaled $384,192, and the second grant, for stress-induced noradrenergic modulation of neuroinflammation research, totaled $441,600. The grants were part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Academic Research Enhancement Awards.

Colleen Novak, assistant professor with the Department of Biological Sciences, says the obesity research grant is being used to investigate the brains of obesity-resistant rats to find out what makes those rats more physically active and have higher activity-related energy expenditure. Novak says the cells in the brain that make and respond to peptides, called melanocortins, are being examined as part of the study.

Novak says the grant emphasizes undergraduate research training and meritorious research projects.

“Since one of the goals of the grant is to enhance undergraduate research training, the funds will be used to financially support a laboratory coordinator and an undergraduate researcher,” says Novak. “Given how difficult the science funding environment is now, I feel very fortunate to receive this grant.” 

John Johnson, associate professor with the Department of Biological Sciences, says the overall goal of the stress-induced noradrenergic dysregulation of neuroinflammation research grant is to know how repeated exposure to psychological stressors leads to increased inflammatory responses in the brain. These responses are associated with poor health consequences, such as cognitive decline, neurodegenerative disorders and depression.

Funds from the grant will support the research and one graduate student. The grant also will provide employment for two or three Kent State undergraduate or local area high school students to work directly with Johnson.

“The purpose of the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program is to stimulate research in educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the nation’s research scientists, but that have not been major recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) support, “ says Johnson. “ AREA grants create opportunities for scientists and institutions, otherwise unlikely to participate extensively in NIH research programs, to contribute to the nation’s biomedical and behavioral research effort.”

For more information about Novak, visit www.kent.edu/biology/facstaff/~cnovak13.

For more information about Johnson, visit www.kent.edu/biology/facstaff/~jjohns72.

Kent State's Welcome Weekend Invites New Students to Get Familiar With Campus

Welcome Weekend is organized for new Kent State
students to transition into the university environment and
learn about the academic and social opportunities that exist
at Kent State.

Before the fall semester gets into full swing on Aug. 26, new students are invited to participate in Welcome Weekend, a four-day orientation program that will run from Aug. 22-25 and help acclimate students to the Kent State community. The event is an opportunity for students to transition into the university environment and learn about the academic and social opportunities that exist at Kent State University.

“Welcome Weekend is a great way for our first-year, residential and commuter students to transition into Kent State’s academic and campus life. Our hope is that the weekend provides an array of opportunities for students to not only immerse themselves into the Kent State community, but to also get to know each other through fun activities before the classes begin,” says Josh Perkins, assistant director of Student Success Programs, who coordinates the program. “Ultimately, Welcome Weekend helps facilitate an environment of connection between students, faculty and staff as we all move into the fall semester.”

Move-in for students begins Thursday with the rest of the events continuing through Sunday.

The four-day program is a requirement for first-year students, and features a slew of activities including a comedy show, movie screening of Star Trek: Into Darkness, Convocation, Discover Downtown, Blastoff and many other events sponsored by various campus departments.

The activities also include a discussion on Friday, Aug. 23, of the 2013 common reading book, Who Owns the Ice House.

While Welcome Weekend is required for all first-year students, Perkins says students will have an opportunity to pick and choose some of the events. All students are required to attend Welcome Weekend check-in to pick up information and supplies; attend all events scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23; and Saturday, Aug. 24, between 10 a.m. and noon. The required events are highlighted on the Welcome Weekend schedule.

A complete listing of events and the schedule can be found online at www.kent.edu/destination/welcome/schedule.cfm.

During Welcome Weekend, “We Can Help” booths will be located on the first floor of the Kent Student Center and at various locations on campus if students need assistance.

For more information about the 2013 common reading book, visit www.kent.edu/success/programs/reading/index.cfm.

Kent State Upward Bound Program Celebrates With Student Showcase Event

Students from the Upward Bound programs pose for a
photo during the Student Showcase event on July 11.

The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and TRIO Upward Bound Programs hosted the Upward Bound Student Showcase and Summer Closing Ceremony on July 11 in the Kent Student Center.

There were about 130 students who participated in the Student Showcase, including students from the three Upward Bound Programs: Classic, Math/Science Bio-Scholars and Public Health. The students came from Barberton, Akron, Warren, Canton, Ravenna, Windham and Lorain communities.

Four years ago, Upward Bound switched to a Student Showcase program, instead of a colloquium-style presentation.

“We moved to the Student Showcase format to give all our students the opportunity to present, tell what they have learned during the summer and be exposed to the many university, community and family members that attend the event,” says Thomas Jefferson, Kent State interim director for Upward Bound Classic.

There were many different highlights of the closing ceremonies, says Jefferson. There was a fashion show of clothes designed and made by students in the fashion elective, Excelsior Radio students played a radio commentary they created in their Producing for Radio elective, two students created and produced a video about May 4, and students from John R. Buchtel Community Learning Center presented research about stereotyping. In addition, students received awards for their academics and the Upward Bound Choir sang two selections.

“We can always tell people how great our programs are, but the Student Showcase and closing ceremonies give students the opportunities to tell their own stories and truly show how much these programs mean to them,” Jefferson says.

According to Jefferson, during the first week students were homesick and by the end of the program they did not want to go home.

Twelve Upward Bound students participated in a Senior-to-Bridge program. They took two college-level courses for high school and college credit, and at the end of the five-week session, they earned six college credits.

For more information about Kent State’s TRIO program, visit www.kent.edu/asc/trio/index.cfm.